CATS: Looking For Etcetera

Chapter Four: I Need You

The Rum Tum Tugger woke to the distant sound of a familiar voice mewing his name softly. His pointed ears pricked up and he opened a single dark eye. He was sleeping in his usual spot in between a group of metal ladders sticking out of the ground at the edge of the yard. He recognised the voice outside to be Misto's straight away. He had been meaning to talk to the black and white cat after their conversation yesterday morning. What was wrong with him, and why did he blame himself for this kitten going missing? Tugger had tried to comfort him but didn't know how. He'd never seen Mistoffelees upset like this before, and it hurt him to watch his friend so lost and alone. Tugger wanted to be there for him, but if Misto wouldn't explain, what could he do? He wanted more than anything to be the one Misto could tell anything to; the one he could come to when something was wrong. From outside Misto called his name once more, so he got up and made sure his fur was groomed and tussled before heading outside. 

"Tug, I need your help," Misto said, a hint of urgency in his voice. Tugger's heart leapt a little each time the young tom called him this. He eyed him up and down emotionlessly, trying his best to hide the butterflies.

"Fire away," he mewed calmly. 

"I need you to take me and Demeter to Macavity." 

Tugger stopped playing with his collar and stared at Mistoffelees wide-eyed. 

"What?"

"Please. You're the only one I trust who knows where he might be. He's your brother, you know all his hangouts and hiding places. Tugger, please, I need you." 

"Are you crazy?!" Tugger meowed, shaking his head. "He'll kill you, Misto! I get that you wanna find Etcy and I do too but that's a death sentence and you know it." 

Misto's heart sunk. 

"So...you won't take me?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. I don't know where he'd be and I'm not letting you anywhere near him." 

Misto stared into the older tom's eyes, his own filled with desperation and despair. Tugger was the only cat he trusted to go with him to Macavity, and there wasn't any time to lose. 

"Tug. Please. You're all I've got right now." 

Tugger shook his head once more. Firmly this time. 

"I'm not letting you get hurt. If anything happened to you I couldn't live with myself." 

Mistoffelees felt his face go warm and he looked away. He never realised Tugger felt this way about him. Or that he could feel this way about anyone. He'd always thought Tugger found him a bit silly and childish. Maybe he was wrong...Tugger looked a little embarrassed himself, but he didn't avert his gaze. 

"Well, if you won't take us, we'll find him ourselves." 

It took the small tux cat everything he had to turn away and head off across the yard to find Demeter. He wondered if he'd ever see Tugger again. 

Tugger what are u DoiNG?! Go with your boyfriend- I mean, friend. Lmao. Thanks for reading :3 xxx